By: Shashidhar Manthena
When was the first time you started questioning your EXISTENCE in united AP?
For me it started as early as in my 3rd standard.
I was studying Telugu medium where at least half of the teaching staff were from Andhra.
In a regular unit test, we were asked to write Antonyms or Opposite Words (వ్యతిరేక పదాలు).
For the word, “Alasyam” (ఆలస్యం), what would you write as an answer?
I wrote “Jaldi“ (జల్ది).
My teacher rejected the answer and did not give a mark. (I doubt whether that respected teacher from ‘Andhra’ knew the meaning of that word at all).
I was a bright student in the class, so was surprised with this and took this to my dad. He was angry and asked, “Is this what you are learning in school?”. But he did not try to tell me why I was wrong. Too many questions generated in my mind and as a child I could not question my dad again.
That word was what I knew and used always. I still use that word in my daily life. It’s part of my language.
I always thought Telugu was my mother-tongue and this incident actually helped me to question my self.
I started thinking…
Is not my language as ‘pure’ as Telugu which is spoken by Andhra people?
If we are Telugu people, why are we speaking a language which is a lot different from what I am studying in my school?
Why my accent is so different from that of my teachers? Why don’t I get that accent?
In those days, we didn’t have access to any sources of knowledge other than the text books published by the government. And you know how these text books were written so deceptively that no one can find any information about Telangana language, their culture and festivals, poets/writers from this region. There was no mention about Telangana being a separate state at all. I did not even know there was a peasant rebellion and the massacre by Razakars. But my grandfather used to tell us briefly about Razakars and some unfortunate events my grandparents experienced in villages. I wanted to know all these things, but how?
School-going age is a very important stage in human life to understand their existence in the community, their roots, their nativity before learning any other things in the world.
The text books had a detailed lesson about ‘Atlathadde‘… I always questioned myself why we were NOT celebrating this festival in Telangana. Why there was not mention about Bathukamma and Bonalu???
We studied about Andhra Pradesh state formation as a historic event happened to unite all ‘Telugu’ speaking people, and for the well-being of us. We were perfectly deceived by hiding the actual history before, during, and after merger of Telangana and Andhra states. Not just this, we never saw the word
‘Telangana’ in any of the text books in any class/standard.
In a single statement, we were forced to learn/adopt/acquire their culture.
Why… why… why???
I was such a fool to sing “Maa Telugu Thalliki Mallepoodanda…” with a lot of pride. 🙁
It continued with a lot of similar experiences until I completed my high school and college at which time my dad himself taught the history of Telangana, our culture, our language, the discrimination, the misrepresentation of its history and culture in school, eventually the strategic loot of invaluable resources in this region. It was like he broke his silence and I felt many of my questions being answered, one by one. Thanks to the re-birth of the movement (Thanks to KCR).
Now I think if the movement did not start again, after a 50 or 100 years, Telangana and it’s rich culture will just be a history hidden in libraries. Its people will live like slaves forcibly adopting others’ cultures forever.
Jai Telangana… Jai Hind…
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